We missed the Mother's Day trip that we originally wanted to take...and I am so glad that we did. It was a day of magic. We were dropped off steps away from the plaza near the Today Show. It was a last minute decision almost done on a whim. I hadn't realized it was the Friday concert series. We were hours early and found good spots. That was only the beginning. After settling on a space that we liked we turned around and right in front of our faces were Matt, Ann and Al. Mary was thrilled. She caught Al in one direction and Matt in the other. Famous sightings 3, Touches 2. The Script concert was awesome as well. We moved on.
I had the sudden thought to try to get tickets to the NBC sets. We found our way to the ticket area only to see the sign stating that tickets were sold out. Mary was sure to ask should they have missed a few...she also threw in a deep sigh and said it was a big shame since she came all the way from California. Liar, liar pants on fire. Slightly bummed we left the building and turned the corner. A girl handed us something. We didn't even realize what it was. Stand-by tickets for Jimmy Fallon. My heart started pounding. I heart Jimmy so I was excited but really had no idea what this meant as far as our journey. We moved on.
After being up since 4:30am without eating we decided it was time to dine. The golden arches are a tradition with this woman so we headed on over. On the way something quite interesting caught my eye. A man had a collection of cushions for his pets all lined up on the sidewalk. The two dogs I could understand...the cat, well I was impressed...but the guinea pig sitting on top like a princess amazed me. How does a man get a guinea pig to just stay on a pillow only steps away from Time Square?!? I can't get my kid to sit in his chair the whole time at dinner. As I ate my fancy NY McDonald's oatmeal I couldn't stop thinking about the animals. How loyal and sweet they all seemed together. How odd and special. But that's New York now isn't it? We moved on.
After a brief people watching session from Times Square we made our way to Dylan's Candy Bar. It was on the must see list. One detour through Bryant Park and twenty-something blocks later we arrived. It was as close to Willy Wonka as one could get and we took in every delicious visual treat. From the gumball tables to the gummy candy filled staircase I marveled. We left no candy bar unturned. It is a must see and we need to go back...this time with the kids. On our way out we heard that Tom Cruise was at the neighboring Starbucks. This turned out to be false but someone famous was there. 3 black vehicles and double digit men with earpieces meant something. We did not recognize them but they were something special with the fanfare and exit that was displayed for the waiting crowd. Famous sightings 3.2, Touches 2.
A cab ride later we arrived at special destination spot number two. Shake Shack. Give me a magazine with an article comparing the three best burger joints and I'll stand in line for ten minutes outside, another ten inside and wait for my order for another ten. Was it worth it? Was it the best burger ever? Damn skippy it was. I ate it slowly and enjoyed those points guilt free. I skipped the shake but it was the burger I was after all along anyway. We moved on.
Now we meandered a bit. Mary wanted the horrible tourist shops that the natives avoid...I found them amusing. We checked out menus and venues as we walked. Something tugged at us to head back to the studio area. We shot upstairs to see about the next process with the taping of Jimmy. Then Mary got thirsty so we headed toward the cafe....oh wait....Ryan Seacrest was there. Right there. He was a sweetie and Mary was sure to tell him that we would be seeing the tour. I think I touched his arm in my head but I don't think my hand moved so it doesn't count. Famous sightings 4.2, Touches 2 and a daydream. We found the girl with the clipboard and were some of the first to check in!!!! Score! Wrong...turns out that order didn't matter. We perused the gift shop and killed some time. Back to the line at the big sign for Stand-by. We were FIRST! Score again! Wrong again...turns out that order doesn't matter either. They made us get in ticket number order. I looked down at my number 57 and 58 and felt like Charlie when he opened the candy bar with no golden ticket. Maybe Dylan's was still oozing back out of me. We lined up in order....the intern with the bad suit and badge came over...and stated that they were taking up to a certain number....in the 40's. Heartbroken we moved with the line of losers. UNTIL....like a little angel from Boston a man handed us 2 tickets...numbers 21 and 22. We were set. Once the bracelet was placed on my arm and we were escorted through the metal detectors I let it all sink in. We were indeed going to see Jimmy Fallon. Mary was thrilled at her chance to be famous. The show was hysterical. Absolutely hysterical. We saw The Roots, Jason Lee, Emma Roberts and DJ Quik. I've lost count with the famous people but I do know the touch count because I got to high five the man himself as he ran up through the crowd. The day was magical. Simply magical.
At one point while waiting for what seemed like an eternity to find out if we were "in" or not...I started to look worried. Mary told me to relax and have positive thoughts. She reminded me that we deserved a really great day. We are caretakers. We tend. We worry. This was our day. It was our turn and the universe really seemed to be happy to thank us. I had no plans, no maps, no guides....just a few hopes to see a candy shop and eat a good burger. The rest just all fell into place. I worried about what I would owe back and sure enough I paid in full a day or two later but man was our Friday in Manhattan a little bit of cosmic love.
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